It is well known to provide a refrigeration system including a refrigeration device such as a refrigerated case, refrigerator, freezer, etc., often referred to as a temperature controlled case for use in commercial and industrial applications involving the storage and/or display of objects, products and materials. For example, it is known to provide a refrigeration system with one or more temperature controlled cases for display and storage of frozen or refrigerated foods in a supermarket to maintain the foods at a suitable temperature (e.g. 32 to 35 deg F.). In such applications, such refrigeration systems often are expected to maintain the temperature of a space within the temperature controlled case where the products are contained within a particular range that is suitable for the particular products, typically well below the room or ambient air temperature within the supermarket. Such known refrigeration systems will typically include a heat exchanger in the form of an evaporator or main heat exchanger fixedly or permanently installed within the refrigeration device and configured to provide a flow of a coolant such as a liquid secondary coolant or a direct expansion refrigerant into the cooling element to refrigerate (i.e. remove heat from) the space within the temperature controlled case. The heat exchangers typically provide cooling by “natural” convention (e.g. “gravity coils,” etc.) or by forced convention (e.g. “fan-coils,” etc.). The heat exchangers are usually provided in fixed locations within the temperature controlled case. For example, gravity coils may be provided in an upper location within the case, while fan-coils may be located within a duct or flue provided above, beneath, or behind the case. Various known configurations of refrigeration systems (e.g. direct expansion refrigerant system and/or liquid secondary coolant system, etc.) are used to provide cooling to the heat exchangers (e.g. by supply of coolant).
It is also well known that use of such fixedly or permanently installed heat exchangers provided at such generally fixed locations tends to result in a variation of the temperature of the products within the temperature controlled case, depending on the proximity of the products to certain thermal influences that tend to increase temperature (such as walls, doors, windows, lighting equipment, etc.) or that tend to decrease temperature (such as beneath gravity coils, adjacent to forced-air discharge devices, etc.). The variation in temperature of the products tends to result in certain products not being maintained at a desired temperature (e.g. either too warm or too cold). Typical control systems or settings for such temperature controlled cases tend to compensate for the variation in temperature of the products by reducing the temperature setting for the case so that the temperature of the “warmest” products is sufficiently reduced and maintained within a desired temperature range. However, such compensating measures tend to result in certain disadvantages, such as increased energy consumption, an increased frequency required for defrosting the cooling elements, “overcooling” of products located in other areas of the case, etc.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a refrigeration system of a type configured to provide a more uniform temperature distribution within a temperature controlled case. It would also be advantageous to provide for a refrigeration system that provides flexibility for customizing a temperature distribution profile within various types of temperature controlled cases. It would further be advantageous to provide a refrigeration system that provides modular cooling elements that may be positioned to supplement the heat exchangers of a temperature controlled case. It would be further advantageous to provide a refrigeration system with modular cooling elements that are positionable for customizing or tailoring thermal performance in a temperature controlled case. It would further be advantageous to provide a refrigeration system with modular cooling elements that are reconfigurable for adapting to changes in product loading, product combinations or changes in an operating environment for the temperature controlled case. It would be further advantageous to provide a refrigeration system that may be adapted for use with existing temperature controlled cases to provide a more uniform temperature distribution profile for products stored and displayed within the case and to provide improved thermal performance within the case.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a refrigeration system with a modular cooling element having any one or more of these or other advantageous features.